Easy container weighing solution for UK exporters

DP World has invested in state of the art container weighing solutions to provide shippers with a seamless service when exporting goods through its UK container terminals.

No disruption to your supply chain

No delays for hauliers at the terminal while obtaining the container weight

Same seamless solution applies for boxes arriving by rail

Highly accurate weight verification that is compliant with the regulations from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in the UK.

At DP World London Gateway and DP World Southampton we will provide you with fully compliant and verified weighing solutions to meet the new International Maritime Organisation legislation which comes into effect on 1 July 2016.

Why does my container have to be weighed?

From the 1st of July 2016, every laden export container will be required to have its weight verified before it is loaded onto a ship.

All laden export containers must have a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) certificate before it is loaded onto a vessel.

The shipper is responsible for providing the VGM of a container regardless of who actually packs it.

To help our customers DP World offers shippers an efficient service to weigh laden export containers at our UK terminals.

This removes the need for shippers to arrange for the certified weight themselves. By offering this service, customers of our terminals are assured that they have a good solution in place before 1 July 2016, irrespective of the number of export containers which need to be weighed.

If a shipper provides their own certified weight, they need to ensure that the VGM is communicated within the shipping documents sufficiently in advance to be used in preparation of the vessels stowage plan.

This is a new international regulation that has been introduced by the International Maritime Organisation as part of the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations.

1. Before your container arrives

Through the Port Community System CNS Compass, the shipping line will provide our terminals with an electronic pre-notification of each laden export container, indicating amongst others the container number, port of discharge and export voyage. Your shipping line or your nominated agent must declare via CNS Compass whether we will receive a VGM from the shipper or that the terminal is requested to determine the VGM of the container on arrival (Terminal determined VGM or TVGM).

If you are a CNS Compass user, and or the nominated agent, click-here for more detailed information on logging your VGM requirements.

2. When your container arrives at a DP World terminal in the UK

All hauliers should proceed to the terminal as normal. Your truck and box will be processed as per normal operational procedures at DP World London Gateway or DP World Southampton.

There is no change to our in-gate procedures. DP World in the UK is offering a seamless service and container weighing solutions that are fully integrated within our normal operational procedures.

3. Weighing the container

At DP World London Gateway

We will determine the VGM by using load cells on our Automated Stacking Cranes, in accordance with the requirements of the MCA.

At DP World Southampton

We will determine the VGM by using load cells on our straddle carriers, in accordance with the requirements of the MCA.

4. VGM Process

If the terminal is instructed to determine the verified gross mass of the containers, this weight and our signature are communicated electronically to the shipping lines through CNS Compass, shortly after arrival of the container at the terminals.

If it is indicated that the shipper will provide the VGM and this information is not available on arrival of the container at the terminals, we will await for this information to be provided up to maximum 24 hours before berthing of the export vessel.

If the shipper has not provided the VGM 24 hours before the expected arrival of the vessel the terminal determined VGM will be used to plan the vessel.

To comply with the SOLAS regulations and the enforcement tolerance threshold of the MCA, the terminal determined VGM will also be used if there is a discrepancy of more than 900 kg or 5% (whichever is larger) with the VGM provided by the shipper.
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Please note: These arrangements are subject to changes to the Marine Guidance Note MGN534 and subsequent publications from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).

How much will it cost?

DP World has made substantial investments to facilitate the weighing of containers without impacting on the efficiency of our operational processes. We will also continue to invest in the maintenance of our equipment to ensure that our weighing solutions are fully compliant with the regulations as published by the MCA.

For our service applying to all laden export containers we will charge one of the following fees to recover our investments and additional (administrative) recurring costs, applicable for vessel departures from 1 January 2019 onwards:

Where the VGM is provided prior to arrival at the terminal

£1.10

VGM provision after box arrival but before 24 hour cut-off

£3.30

Where the terminal is requested to weigh the container and provide a TVGM with electronic signature

£19.25

The admin charge covers:
• Registration with CNS Compass and access to the new VGM functionality of CNS Compass.
You can register with CNS Compass here
• Option to ‘claim’ your export containers and provide your VGM for each container direct to the terminal, if not done through the shipping line.
• Processing of all VGM data to the relevant parties including the shipping line
• Changes to our IT systems to prevent containers without VGM to be loaded on board.
• Regular checks and VGM reporting as requested by the MCA
• Even if the terminal did not provide a direct weighing service for shippers, we have to invest to ensure compliance with the new SOLAS regulations and this charge is intended to recover this investment and the recurring costs.

The above charges may be passed on with a surcharge by the Shipping Line or Freight Forwarder if not charged directly through the Port Community System CNS Compass. For these costs to be charged directly to shippers or their agents, the correct CNS identification needs to be provided for each laden export container, otherwise the charge will be made through the Shipping Line.

Please note: The terminal will be required to provide relevant information to the MCA for auditing and examination purposes, which is included in the above charges.

Our prices and public tariffs are subject to annual RPI changes.

Pricing exceptions:

If a shipper VGM is expected, but not provided by the vessel cut-off time (24 hrs before vessel arrival) or prior to arrival of the container, the charge will be:

£3.30 (VGM after gate) + £19.25

If our determined weight differs from the provided VGM, we will be using the following criteria:

For containers with a Shipper VGM under 18,000 kgs we will only apply our charges if our determined weight differs by more than 900 kgs

For containers with a Shipper VGM over 18,000 kgs we will only apply our charges if our determined weight differs by more than 5%

For Out of Tolerance boxes the TVGM will be used and the following charge applies:

If the VGM measured by the terminal differs more than 900 kg or 5% (whichever is more) from the shipper provided weight, the Terminal VGM will be used and the following charge applies:

Re-weighing request of an export or import container (where this is still possible):

Standard unit £52.89
Reefer unit: £79.09

Container weighing for ‘Out of Gauge’ containers

From 1 January 2018 onwards we are able to provide the VGM for “Out of Gauge” containers which can’t be handled by a Straddle Carrier with a standard spreader. The costs to determine the Terminal VGM for such Out of Gauge containers will be:

£49.50 for the additional handling plus the standard weighing charge of £19.25.

To ensure smooth processing of your Out of Gauge containers, please timely contact vgm@dpworldsouthampton.com to pre-notify us of the arrival at Southampton of such containers, if you want us to arrange the weighing.

Please note: The terminal will be required to provide relevant information to the MCA for auditing and examination purposes, which is included in the above charges.

Our prices and public tariffs are subject to annual RPI changes.

How will you bill me?

Shipping lines will be able to assign a code for the export booking agent or shipper in the port community system CNS Compass, similar to the clearance agent for import containers. The shipper or agent must be a contracted customer of CNS. If shippers do not have an existing badge with CNS Compass they can register for a VGM only badge with limited functionality related to the Verified Gross Mass of containers. The costs of such a VGM only badge are covered by the charges mentioned above.

The fees for container weighing / VGM declarations will be charged to the nominated party unless this code is not filled in, in which case the charge defaults to the shipping line.

What do I have to do next?

Cargo Owner / exporter:

Please contact your nominated shipping agent or freight forwarder to instruct them to ask DP World to weigh your containers or determine how you will obtain a VGM and ensure they communicate this to DP World via our CNS Compass system.

Shipping agent / freight forwarder:

Please ensure you have a valid CNS Compass access licence and are familiar with the new process for logging VGM.